Index — the map of this book

Three ways to read it

If you have never danced — go straight through, in order: What square dancing is → The square → Your first call → Naming the dancers → then the classes in 05-course, using 04-calls as the reference beside you.

If you are learning a specific call — jump to it in the call index. Every call page is self-contained: it links to the words it uses rather than re-explaining them.

If you are teaching — read the course and teaching a class, and take the drills from drills.

01 — Start here

Page	What it gives you
What square dancing is	the dance, the evening, and what changed in 2026
The square	eight dancers, four couples, and the words for them
Your first call	Circle Left, walked through
How a call works	start formation → dance action → end formation
Timing and music	beats, phrases, and why 64 matters
Tips, the unit of the dance	opener, figure, break, closer, finale
Zeroes, get-outs and modules	why every tip comes home
How this book is organised	the call card, and how to use it

02 — The language

Page	What it gives you
Naming the dancers	Partner & Corner, Heads & Sides, Boys & Girls, Centers & Ends, Leaders & Trailers
Couples and positions	the four positions, and who stands where
Directions	Left, Right, In, Out, Home, Reverse, Forward and Back
Formations	Squared Set, Circle, Promenade, Facing Dancers, Facing Couples, Eight Chain Thru, Couple, Tandem, Lines, Waves, Columns, Box, Diamond, Alamo, Thar, Tag
Arrangements and gender	who is on which side, and why it matters
Sequence and relationship	in sequence, out of sequence, and why anyone cares
Hands and holds	every handhold this program uses
Fractions	1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and what they mean
Concepts and modifiers	Split, All 8, Nothing, Anything, Those Who Can

03 — The rules

Page	What it gives you
Passing Rule	what happens when two dancers share a path
Same Position Rule	what happens when two dancers want one spot
Facing Couples Rule	dancing a wave call from facing couples
Ocean Wave Rule	dancing a facing-couples call from a wave
Squared Set Convention	calls that start from "facing" when you are squared up
Circle Rule	calling out of a circle
Proper versus improper	what the manual will and will not allow
Mainstream restrictions	the limits, gathered in one place

04 — The calls

Fifty teaching units, in the official order. Start at M1 Circle Family, or use the call index to find one.

05 — The course · 06 — Practice · 07 — Beyond

Page	What it gives you
Course overview	the 50 units grouped into twelve classes
Classes 1 to 12	what to teach and dance, class by class
Teaching a class	pacing and walkthroughs
How to practise	making progress between classes
Drills	figure-by-figure exercises
Dancing a tip	what a whole tip actually feels like
Where Mainstream leads	the Plus program, and what moves
The Plus program	the Plus calls
Plus call index	one line each

08 — Reference

Page	What it gives you
Glossary	every term, defined once
Call index	every call, its unit, formations and timing
Formation index	which calls start or end in each formation
Animations index	every animated call, and the few with none yet
Program membership	which calls are in the 2026 program, and how that was settled
Moved and renamed	calls that left Mainstream, and 2026 renames
Watching the animations	the controls, the colours, and the numbers
Sources and attribution	where every definition and quotation comes from